Thursday: Under the Cherry Moon at Franklin Park

In a city with literally hundreds of outdoor movie night options, it’s somewhat surprising there aren’t more Prince-themed options. Sure, it’s not unlikely to see Purple Rain on a lawn near you, which makes sense because it’s Prince’s best movie, but the unlikely showing of the artist’s much more forgettable flick makes this screening of 1986’s Under the Cherry Moon even better. Prince’s directorial debut isn’t as memorable as his on-screen debut, but few films featuring the Purple One and Lake Minnetonka are. The follow-up to Purple Rain, Under the Cherry Moon is more style than substance but at this point, who cares? It’s a black-and-white film with Casablanca vibes shot in Nice, France. The story and acting leave a lot to be desired—Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert gave it two thumbs down and it tied Howard the Duck for Worst Picture of the year at the 1986 Golden Raspberry Awards—but the soundtrack is Prince’s Parade! You’ll want to attend this screening to celebrate Prince’s life and, most importantly, dance to his music. Outdoor film screenings are less about what’s on-screen and more about taking in the sights under the stars. When it comes to Under the Cherry Moon, the vibes are way better than the on-screen product. Under the Cherry Moon screens at 8:30 p.m. on July 18 at Franklin Park, 1332 I St. NW. downtowndc.org. Free. —Brandon Wetherbee

Friday: Chungking Express at Freer Gallery of Art

Deliriously entertaining, at once quirky and profound, Wong Kar–Wai’s 1994 breakthrough is one of the pivotal films of the 1990s. Thanks to the impressionistic, kinetic cinematography, Chungking Express is a feast not only for the eyes and ears, but a vividly suggested platter for the nose and tongue. Wong’s split narrative follows two lovelorn law enforcers who frequent the same Hong Kong fast food counter. First up is Cop 233 (Takeshi Kaneshiro), who becomes obsessed with two things after his girlfriend leaves him: cans of pineapple that expire on May 1, 1994, and a mysterious, elusive blond (Brigitte Lin) who turns out to be a drug smuggler. The pineapple quest unresolved, the plot shifts to Cop 663 (Tony Leung), whose paramour leaves him after he changes her regular take-out order. But this officer has another choice in the form of new snack, bar worker Faye (Faye Wong), who’s obsessed with the Mamas & the Papas hit “California Dreamin’” and falls for the uniformed regular. Two cinematographers worked on this film; Andrew Lau shoots the first thread like a dazzling new wave crime drama. But Christopher Doyle, who shot most of Wong’s most successful films, almost finds a new visual language for the Faye segment, his camera swooning much like its characters. Two of many delicious moments sum up its magic: In a mesmerizing slow-motion aside, Faye stands in front of a fan at one end of her lunch counter, gazing at her beloved and sending her scent his way, to no avail. And in the movie’s best joke—Faye sneaks into 663’s apartment, redecorating and switching out labels on the canned food in his pantry: When he eats a mislabeled can of sardines, it’s as if he’s trying them for the first time. It’s hilarious, but also a moving metaphor for the way love transforms us. As Faye changed his taste buds, and his life, Wong changed cinema, if only for 104 minutes. Chungking Express screens at 7 p.m. on July 19 at the Freer Gallery of Art, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. asia.si.edu. Free. —Pat Padua

Saturday: Girls Rock! Showcase at the Black Cat 

The work happening at Girls Rock! DC’s annual summer camps go beyond teaching girls how to rock out in a band. For a week straight, counselors and program leaders echo the words and mantra that would have changed the life of its own executive director Noel Schroeder if she’d heard them as a teenager. “My voice matters,” she says. The D.C. chapter—similar to hundreds of girls’ rock camps that have formed across the country—has spent 17 years working to provide a space for girls and women to feel comfortable speaking their minds and making their own decisions. Campers learn a lot in just a few days, such as working with band coaches to play instruments and write their own music. Program leaders also take the opportunity to expand the training to go beyond music, by helping youth find their sense of expression. They also learn to collaborate with bandmates and fellow campers alongside coaches, preparing them for future situations when they’ll need to compromise and work with a team, whether that happens in a band or not. Seeing these campers take to the stage to perform after only a week is superbly joyful. It’s why the performance tends to sell out year after year. The magic behind this weekend’s Girls Rock! Showcase isn’t simply floating down the Black Cat stage, but the product of a weeklong effort to build stamina, confidence, and in today’s young girls. July Summer Camp Showcase starts at 11 a.m. on July 20 at the Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. (A second showcase takes place on Aug. 10, same time, same place.) girlsrockdc.org. $30. —Heidi Perez-Moreno

Saturday: The International Colombian Festival at Catholic University

Colombia celebrates its Independence Day on July 20, and here in D.C. Colombians and supporters can celebrate at the International Colombian Festival. Home to Indigenous residents, descendants of European immigrants, and descendants of enslaved Africans, Colombia is the third most populous Latin American country, and this event offers a chance to experience some of the tropical locale’s music, dance, and food. In a nod to the large number of Salvadorans who live in the D.C. area, the festival also honors them by including guest participants from El Salvador too. Musical acts on the bill include Teno El Melodico, a Colombian salsa choque vocalist with a warm voice who sings and raps over a tuneful mesh of salsa and reggaeton, and Cathia, who lends her smooth vocals to polished yet bouncy cumbia and Latin pop. Also on the roster is Los Embajadores Vallenatos, a singer and accordion duo who perform fast-tempoed folkloric vallenato music, and La Marvela, a local all-women band known for their harmonies, percussion, and activist spirit. Dance company participants include El Tayrona, a Falls Church-based Colombian folk dance company, and Flor de Café, a local Salvadoran dance troupe. Attendees, while watching the performances, can dine on culinary offerings including  arepas, corn dough patties stuffed with various ingredients that have been eaten in Colombia since precolonial times. The International Colombian Festival runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on July 20 at Catholic University, 598 John McCormack Rd. NE. colombianfestivaldc.com. $20–$25. —Steve Kiviat   

Tuesday: Tinariwen at Warner Theatre

Tinariwen’s guitar work, specifically from band members Ibrahim Ag Alhabib and Alhassane Ag Touhami, is so impressive it’ll make you want to pick up a guitar as soon as you get home or put one down forever. With more than 30 years into a recording career, 40 as a collective, the group of Tuareg musicians from the Sahara region of Mali may be the most internationally relevant guitar-based band working today. In the last year they’ve graced stages in Australia, France, Japan, and Saudi Arabia. They’ll be playing across the United States and Canada this summer before hitting most every major Western European city in the fall. Their infectious and universal music is truly international and it sounds like it could have been made as soon as guitars were electrified. There’s noodling reminiscent of early 1950s Les Paul-era jazz and pop. There are riffs on par with 2020s Queens of the Stone Age. Tinariwen’s desert blues have a lot in common with the best psychedelic music. They make hypnotic head-nodders and toe-tappers that are easy to get lost inside. If you’re listening in headphones, time slips away. If you’re seeing them live, that’s when you’ll either want to pick up or put down that guitar at home. Tinariwen play at 8 p.m. on July 23 at Warner Theatre, 515 1th St. NW. livenation.com. $20–$108. —Brandon Wetherbee

Wednesday: The Dollyrots at Atlas Brew Works

With the help of Pie Shop, Atlas Brew Works, the sometimes music venue and beloved neighborhood brewery, will be the local stop for the current tour for L.A.-based, Florida-bred pop-punk-rock band the Dollyrots. Formed by bassist-vocalist Kelly Ogden and guitarist Luis Cabezas, the Dollyrots bring the force and noise of punk in their bubblegum hooks and sunny lyrics that their own two kids get to watch as audience members. The band have released eight albums, including a few extended plays, live albums, and Christmas-themed tracks, since forming shortly after the results of the 2000 presidential elections. Disillusioned with George W. Bush and convinced the world was going to end, the band took their music full-time. That torch they carry has kept pop-punk music alive since the genre experienced commercial success in the 2000s, when acts like Jimmy Eat World, Sum 41, and Blink-182 reshaped the punk of their predecessors into radio-friendly pop. These influences are alive on the Dollyrots latest album, Nights Owl, which came out last October. Their Wrapped in Sunshine tour plays off the name of one of their newest singles, emblematic of the light and energy behind many of the melodic choruses the band is known for. Philadelphia-based Soraia and local band (and self-titled “punk nerd party people”) Curse Words open. The show starts at 7 p.m. on July 24 at Atlas Brew Works, 2052 West Virginia Ave. NE. atlasbrewworks.com, $20. —Heidi Perez-Moreno